Chihuahua/MinPin Mix...

After having Australian Shepherds and Border Collies for nearly 40 years, I decided to see what life would be like with a small dog. I am disabled and it was very challenging helping my last Border his last year with me; due to his and my arthritis, up the stairs. Just recently I adopted a shelter dog, a 3 yo LH Chipin, that was brought in from an out of state animal control facility. I know most Chipins are short haired but if a long haired Chihuahua is bred, you will end up with slightly furry cuties.

Paco has adjusted very nicely into my home and is learning not to tease the cats by pulling their tails and barking at them. Two cats are starting to play with him but he is still learning the boundaries with them.

Paco is with me 24/7 and from his behavior was a family dog in his previous life. He is highly social, pee pad trained, and has learned crate time is bed time. He has to earn nighttime privileges yet. He is also learning basic obedience quickly, but is easily distracted by neighborhood activity. Paco has also learned very quickly to discriminate between noises worthy of barking at and responds to Shhh...

I cannot agree with a previous poster who objects to shelter dogs due to not knowing their previous environment. If you are experienced with dogs and understand their behavior and motivations, you can find some great companions. I have adopted several shelter dogs over the years, and although some were challenging at first, with patience and training, they ALL have been wonderful dogs deserving of good homes. Too many dogs are out there due to breeding and not enough homes are available. Overall, I am quite pleased with my little guy and look forward to many happy years with him.